analysis of an essay on man

An Essay on Man: Epistle I

by Alexander Pope

To Henry St. John, Lord Bolingbroke Awake, my St. John! leave all meaner things To low ambition, and the pride of kings. Let us (since life can little more supply Than just to look about us and to die) Expatiate free o’er all this scene of man; A mighty maze! but not without a plan; A wild, where weeds and flow’rs promiscuous shoot; Or garden, tempting with forbidden fruit. Together let us beat this ample field, Try what the open, what the covert yield; The latent tracts, the giddy heights explore Of all who blindly creep, or sightless soar; Eye Nature’s walks, shoot folly as it flies, And catch the manners living as they rise; Laugh where we must, be candid where we can; But vindicate the ways of God to man. I. Say first, of God above, or man below, What can we reason, but from what we know? Of man what see we, but his station here, From which to reason, or to which refer? Through worlds unnumber’d though the God be known, ‘Tis ours to trace him only in our own. He, who through vast immensity can pierce, See worlds on worlds compose one universe, Observe how system into system runs, What other planets circle other suns, What varied being peoples ev’ry star, May tell why Heav’n has made us as we are. But of this frame the bearings, and the ties, The strong connections, nice dependencies, Gradations just, has thy pervading soul Look’d through? or can a part contain the whole? Is the great chain, that draws all to agree, And drawn supports, upheld by God, or thee? II. Presumptuous man! the reason wouldst thou find, Why form’d so weak, so little, and so blind? First, if thou canst, the harder reason guess, Why form’d no weaker, blinder, and no less! Ask of thy mother earth , why oaks are made Taller or stronger than the weeds they shade? Or ask of yonder argent fields above, Why Jove’s satellites are less than Jove? Of systems possible, if ’tis confest That Wisdom infinite must form the best, Where all must full or not coherent be, And all that rises, rise in due degree; Then, in the scale of reas’ning life, ’tis plain There must be somewhere, such a rank as man: And all the question (wrangle e’er so long) Is only this, if God has plac’d him wrong? Respecting man, whatever wrong we call, May, must be right, as relative to all. In human works, though labour’d on with pain, A thousand movements scarce one purpose gain; In God’s, one single can its end produce; Yet serves to second too some other use. So man, who here seems principal alone , Perhaps acts second to some sphere unknown, Touches some wheel, or verges to some goal; ‘Tis but a part we see, and not a whole. When the proud steed shall know why man restrains His fiery course, or drives him o’er the plains: When the dull ox, why now he breaks the clod, Is now a victim, and now Egypt’s God: Then shall man’s pride and dulness comprehend His actions’, passions’, being’s, use and end; Why doing, suff’ring, check’d, impell’d; and why This hour a slave, the next a deity. Then say not man’s imperfect, Heav’n in fault; Say rather, man’s as perfect as he ought: His knowledge measur’d to his state and place, His time a moment, and a point his space. If to be perfect in a certain sphere, What matter, soon or late, or here or there? The blest today is as completely so, As who began a thousand years ago. III. Heav’n from all creatures hides the book of fate, All but the page prescrib’d, their present state: From brutes what men, from men what spirits know: Or who could suffer being here below? The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed today, Had he thy reason, would he skip and play ? Pleas’d to the last, he crops the flow’ry food, And licks the hand just rais’d to shed his blood. Oh blindness to the future! kindly giv’n, That each may fill the circle mark’d by Heav’n: Who sees with equal eye, as God of all, A hero perish, or a sparrow fall, Atoms or systems into ruin hurl’d, And now a bubble burst, and now a world. Hope humbly then; with trembling pinions soar; Wait the great teacher Death; and God adore! What future bliss, he gives not thee to know, But gives that hope to be thy blessing now. Hope springs eternal in the human breast: Man never is, but always to be blest: The soul, uneasy and confin’d from home, Rests and expatiates in a life to come. Lo! the poor Indian, whose untutor’d mind Sees God in clouds, or hears him in the wind; His soul, proud science never taught to stray Far as the solar walk, or milky way; Yet simple nature to his hope has giv’n, Behind the cloud -topt hill, an humbler heav’n; Some safer world in depth of woods embrac’d, Some happier island in the wat’ry waste, Where slaves once more their native land behold, No fiends torment, no Christians thirst for gold. To be, contents his natural desire, He asks no angel’s wing, no seraph’s fire; But thinks, admitted to that equal sky, His faithful dog shall bear him company. IV. Go, wiser thou! and, in thy scale of sense Weigh thy opinion against Providence; Call imperfection what thou fanciest such, Say, here he gives too little, there too much: Destroy all creatures for thy sport or gust, Yet cry, if man’s unhappy, God’s unjust; If man alone engross not Heav’n’s high care, Alone made perfect here, immortal there: Snatch from his hand the balance and the rod, Rejudge his justice , be the God of God. In pride, in reas’ning pride, our error lies; All quit their sphere, and rush into the skies. Pride still is aiming at the blest abodes, Men would be angels, angels would be gods. Aspiring to be gods, if angels fell, Aspiring to be angels, men rebel: And who but wishes to invert the laws Of order, sins against th’ Eternal Cause. V. ask for what end the heav’nly bodies shine, Earth for whose use? Pride answers, ” ‘Tis for mine: For me kind Nature wakes her genial pow’r, Suckles each herb, and spreads out ev’ry flow’r; Annual for me, the grape, the rose renew, The juice nectareous, and the balmy dew; For me, the mine a thousand treasures brings; For me, health gushes from a thousand springs; Seas roll to waft me, suns to light me rise; My foot -stool earth, my canopy the skies.” But errs not Nature from this gracious end, From burning suns when livid deaths descend, When earthquakes swallow, or when tempests sweep Towns to one grave, whole nations to the deep? “No, (’tis replied) the first Almighty Cause Acts not by partial, but by gen’ral laws; Th’ exceptions few; some change since all began: And what created perfect?”—Why then man? If the great end be human happiness, Then Nature deviates; and can man do less? As much that end a constant course requires Of show’rs and sunshine, as of man’s desires; As much eternal springs and cloudless skies, As men for ever temp’rate, calm, and wise. If plagues or earthquakes break not Heav’n’s design , Why then a Borgia, or a Catiline? Who knows but he, whose hand the lightning forms, Who heaves old ocean, and who wings the storms, Pours fierce ambition in a Cæsar’s mind, Or turns young Ammon loose to scourge mankind? From pride, from pride, our very reas’ning springs; Account for moral , as for nat’ral things: Why charge we Heav’n in those, in these acquit? In both, to reason right is to submit. Better for us, perhaps, it might appear, Were there all harmony, all virtue here; That never air or ocean felt the wind; That never passion discompos’d the mind. But ALL subsists by elemental strife; And passions are the elements of life. The gen’ral order, since the whole began, Is kept in nature, and is kept in man. VI. What would this man? Now upward will he soar, And little less than angel, would be more; Now looking downwards, just as griev’d appears To want the strength of bulls, the fur of bears. Made for his use all creatures if he call, Say what their use, had he the pow’rs of all? Nature to these, without profusion, kind, The proper organs, proper pow’rs assign’d; Each seeming want compensated of course, Here with degrees of swiftness, there of force; All in exact proportion to the state; Nothing to add, and nothing to abate. Each beast, each insect, happy in its own: Is Heav’n unkind to man, and man alone? Shall he alone, whom rational we call, Be pleas’d with nothing, if not bless’d with all? The bliss of man (could pride that blessing find) Is not to act or think beyond mankind; No pow’rs of body or of soul to share, But what his nature and his state can bear. Why has not man a microscopic eye? For this plain reason, man is not a fly. Say what the use, were finer optics giv’n, T’ inspect a mite, not comprehend the heav’n? Or touch, if tremblingly alive all o’er, To smart and agonize at ev’ry pore? Or quick effluvia darting through the brain, Die of a rose in aromatic pain? If nature thunder’d in his op’ning ears, And stunn’d him with the music of the spheres, How would he wish that Heav’n had left him still The whisp’ring zephyr, and the purling rill? Who finds not Providence all good and wise, Alike in what it gives, and what denies? VII. Far as creation’s ample range extends, The scale of sensual, mental pow’rs ascends: Mark how it mounts, to man’s imperial race, From the green myriads in the peopled grass : What modes of sight betwixt each wide extreme, The mole’s dim curtain, and the lynx’s beam: Of smell, the headlong lioness between, And hound sagacious on the tainted green: Of hearing, from the life that fills the flood, To that which warbles through the vernal wood: The spider’s touch, how exquisitely fine! Feels at each thread, and lives along the line: In the nice bee, what sense so subtly true From pois’nous herbs extracts the healing dew: How instinct varies in the grov’lling swine, Compar’d, half-reas’ning elephant, with thine: ‘Twixt that, and reason, what a nice barrier; For ever sep’rate, yet for ever near! Remembrance and reflection how allied; What thin partitions sense from thought divide: And middle natures, how they long to join, Yet never pass th’ insuperable line! Without this just gradation, could they be Subjected, these to those, or all to thee? The pow’rs of all subdu’d by thee alone, Is not thy reason all these pow’rs in one? VIII. See, through this air, this ocean, and this earth, All matter quick, and bursting into birth. Above, how high, progressive life may go! Around, how wide! how deep extend below! Vast chain of being, which from God began, Natures ethereal, human, angel, man, Beast, bird, fish, insect! what no eye can see, No glass can reach! from infinite to thee, From thee to nothing!—On superior pow’rs Were we to press, inferior might on ours: Or in the full creation leave a void, Where, one step broken, the great scale’s destroy’d: From nature’s chain whatever link you strike, Tenth or ten thousandth, breaks the chain alike. And, if each system in gradation roll Alike essential to th’ amazing whole, The least confusion but in one, not all That system only, but the whole must fall. Let earth unbalanc’d from her orbit fly, Planets and suns run lawless through the sky; Let ruling angels from their spheres be hurl’d, Being on being wreck’d, and world on world; Heav’n’s whole foundations to their centre nod, And nature tremble to the throne of God. All this dread order break—for whom? for thee? Vile worm!—Oh madness, pride, impiety! IX. What if the foot ordain’d the dust to tread, Or hand to toil, aspir’d to be the head? What if the head, the eye, or ear repin’d To serve mere engines to the ruling mind? Just as absurd for any part to claim To be another, in this gen’ral frame: Just as absurd, to mourn the tasks or pains, The great directing Mind of All ordains. All are but parts of one stupendous whole, Whose body Nature is, and God the soul; That, chang’d through all, and yet in all the same, Great in the earth, as in th’ ethereal frame, Warms in the sun, refreshes in the breeze, Glows in the stars, and blossoms in the trees , Lives through all life, extends through all extent, Spreads undivided, operates unspent, Breathes in our soul, informs our mortal part, As full, as perfect, in a hair as heart; As full, as perfect, in vile man that mourns, As the rapt seraph that adores and burns; To him no high, no low, no great, no small; He fills, he bounds, connects, and equals all. X. Cease then, nor order imperfection name: Our proper bliss depends on what we blame. Know thy own point: This kind, this due degree Of blindness, weakness, Heav’n bestows on thee. Submit.—In this, or any other sphere, Secure to be as blest as thou canst bear: Safe in the hand of one disposing pow’r, Or in the natal, or the mortal hour. All nature is but art, unknown to thee; All chance, direction, which thou canst not see; All discord, harmony, not understood; All partial evil, universal good: And, spite of pride, in erring reason’s spite, One truth is clear, Whatever is, is right.

Summary of An Essay on Man: Epistle I

• Popularity of “An Essay on Man: Epistle I”: Alexander Pope, one of the greatest English poets, wrote ‘An Essay on Man’ It is a superb literary piece about God and creation, and was first published in 1733. The poem speaks about the mastery of God’s art that everything happens according to His plan, even though we fail to comprehend His work. It also illustrates man’s place in the cosmos. The poet explains God’s grandeur and His rule over the universe.
• “An Essay on Man: Epistle I” As a Representative of God’s Art: This poem explains God’s ways to men. This is a letter to the poet’s friend, St. John, Lord Bolingbroke. He urges him to quit all his mundane tasks and join the speaker to vindicate the ways of God to men. The speaker argues that God may have other worlds to observe but man perceives the world with his own limited system. A man’s happiness depends on two basic things; his hopes for the future and unknown future events. While talking about the sinful and impious nature of mankind, the speaker argues that man’s attempt to gain more knowledge and to put himself at God’s place becomes the reason of his discontent and constant misery. In section 1, the poet argues that man knows about the universe with his/her limited knowledge and cannot understand the systems and constructions of God. Humans are unaware of the grander relationships between God and His creations. In section 2, he states that humans are not perfect. However, God designed humans perfectly to suit his plan, in the order of the creation of things. Humans are after angelic beings but above every creature on the planet. In section 3 the poet tells that human happiness depends on both his lack of knowledge as they don’t know the future and also on his hope for the future. In section 4 the poet talks about the pride of humans, which is a sin. Because of pride, humans try to gain more knowledge and pretend that is a perfect creation. This pride is the root of man’s mistakes and sorrow. If humans put themselves in God’s place, then humans are sinners. In section 5, the poet explains the meaninglessness of human beliefs. He thinks that it is extremely ridiculous to believe that humans are the sole cause of creation. God expecting perfection and morality from people on this earth does not happen in the natural world. In section 6, the poet criticizes human nature because of the unreasonable demands and complaints against God and His providence. He argues that God is always good; He loves giving and taking. We also learn that if man possesses the knowledge of God, he would be miserable. In section 7, he shows that the natural world we see, including the universal order and degree, is observable by humans as per their perspective . The hierarchy of humans over earthly creatures and their subordination to man is one of the examples. The poet also mentions sensory issues like physical sense, instinct, thought, reflection, and reason. There’s also a reason which is above everything. In section 8, the poet reclaims that if humans break God’s rules of order and fail to obey are broken, then the entire God’s creation must also be destroyed. In section 9, he talks about human craziness and the desire to overthrow God’s order and break all the rules. In the last section the speaker requests and invites humans to submit to God and His power to follow his order. When humans submit to God’s absolute submission, His will, and ensure to do what’s right, then human remains safe in God’s hand.
• Major Themes in “An Essay on Man: Epistle I”: Acceptance, God’s superiority, and man’s nature are the major themes of this poem Throughout the poem, the speaker tries to justify the working of God, believing there is a reason behind all things. According to the speaker, a man should not try to examine the perfection and imperfection of any creature. Rather, he should understand the purpose of his own existence in the world. He should acknowledge that God has created everything according to his plan and that man’s narrow intellectual ability can never be able to comprehend the greater logic of God’s order.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “An Essay on Man: Epistle I”

literary devices are modes that represent writers’ ideas, feelings, and emotions. It is through these devices the writers make their few words appealing to the readers. Alexander Pope has also used some literary devices in this poem to make it appealing. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem has been listed below.

• Assonance : Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /o/ in “To him no high, no low, no great, no small” and the sound of /i/ in “The whisp’ring zephyr, and the purling rill?”
• Anaphora : It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. For example, “As full, as perfect,” in the second last stanza of the poem to emphasize the point of perfection.
• Alliteration : Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession. For example, the sound of /m/ in “A mighty maze! but not without a plan”, the sound of /b/ “And now a bubble burst, and now a world” and the sound of /th/ in “Subjected, these to those, or all to thee.”
• Enjambment : It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break ; instead, it rolls over to the next line. For example.

“Lo! the poor Indian, whose untutor’d mind Sees God in clouds, or hears him in the wind.”

• Imagery : Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “All chance, direction, which thou canst not see”, “Planets and suns run lawless through the sky” and “Where, one step broken, the great scale’s destroy’d”
• Rhetorical Question : Rhetorical question is a question that is not asked in order to receive an answer; it is just posed to make the point clear and to put emphasis on the speaker’s point. For example, “Why has not man a microscopic eye?”, “And what created perfect?”—Why then man?” and “What matter, soon or late, or here or there?”

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “An Essay on Man: Epistle I”

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

• Heroic Couplet : There are two constructive lines in heroic couplet joined by end rhyme in iambic pentameter . For example,

“And, spite of pride, in erring reason’s spite, One truth is clear, Whatever is, is right.”

• Rhyme Scheme : The poem follows the ABAB rhyme scheme and this pattern continues till the end.
• Stanza : A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. This is a long poem divided into ten sections and each section contains different numbers of stanzas in it.

Quotes to be Used

The lines stated below are useful to put in a speech delivered on the topic of God’s grandeur. These are also useful for children to make them understand that we constitute just a part of the whole.

“ All nature is but art, unknown to thee; All chance, direction, which thou canst not see; All discord, harmony, not understood; All partial evil, universal good.”

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Analysis of "An Essay on Man" by Alexander Pope

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An Essay on Man

30 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Epistle Summaries & Analyses

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Further Reading & Resources

Discussion Questions

Epistle 1 Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Summary epistle 1: “of the nature and state of man with respect to the universe”.

Lines 1-16 are a dedication to Henry St. John, a friend of Pope’s. The speaker urges St. John to abandon the “meaner things” (Line 1) in life and turn his attention toward the higher, grander sphere by reflecting on human nature and God.

In section 1 (Lines 17-34), the speaker argues that humans cannot see the universe from God’s perspective . Therefore, people cannot understand the entirety of the universe. The universe is composed of “worlds unnumber’d” (Line 21); only God can see how everything is connected through “nice dependencies” (Line 30). The speaker compares these connections to a “great chain” (Line 33).

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In section 2 (Line 35-76), the speaker says that humans are “presumptuous” (Line 35) in believing that they are at the center of the universe. The speaker appoints God as the universe’s center. The speaker argues that everything is supported by God’s existence and reason, not by the existence or actions of humans. Humans are small and weak and lesser than God. Just as the oak tree is larger than the weeds surrounding it, and Jupiter’s moons are smaller than Jupiter, humans are smaller and frailer than God. The speaker compares the relationship between humans and God to the relationship between a horse and his master, saying that all human behaviors and emotions are part of God’s larger vision. Humans are made to fulfill God’s vision for humanity and the universe: “Man’s as perfect as he ought” (Line 70).

In section 3 (Line 77-112), the speaker says that creatures are not given knowledge of their mortality because this would harm them. If the lamb knew what was going to happen to it when it died, it would not “skip and play” (82). Humans are aware of their own mortality, but they are also given the ability to hope. Hope allows people to emotionally endure knowledge; humans believe that their souls will live on after their physical deaths. The speaker describes the “poor Indian” (Line 99) who does not know about God from the Bible but feels God’s presence in the natural world.

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In section 4 (Lines 113-130), the speaker names pride as the origin of human error. When people experience unhappiness, they call God “unjust” (Line 118). The speaker says that pride is a form of rebellion against God, as humans seek to be like “angels” and make angels “into Gods” (Line 126). By trying to become greater than what God has made them, humans act against God’s laws.

In section 5 (Lines 131-172), the speaker says that pride leads people to falsely believe that nature provides solely for humanity’s benefit. This is false because Nature also causes destruction, bringing tempests that “sweep/Towns to one grave, whole nations to the deep” (144). Since Nature, an incredibly powerful force, cannot act against God, humans should not fear powerful rulers or kings either, such as “Borgia” or “Catiline” (Line 156). The ambition of these rulers exists for a purpose and is part of God’s orderly universe. The speaker says that strife and passion exist for a reason.

In section 6 (Lines 173-206), the speaker clarifies the place of humans between angels and beasts: Humans look “upward” (Line 173) to the angels and “downwards” (Line 175) to the animals. People have “proper organs, proper pow’rs assign’d” (Line 180), meaning that humans have specific abilities and skills because these fulfill their purpose in the hierarchy of all things. The speaker uses the example of a fly, claiming that flies can see minuscule things because they make use of their “finer optics” (Line 195), while humans have no need for this.

Section 7 (Lines 207-232) discusses nature’s hierarchy. The speaker explains how each animal’s instincts and abilities are harmonious with its purpose. For instance, “the spider’s touch, how exquisitely fine! /Feels at each thread, and lives along the line,” (Line 217-218). Reason separates humans from the rest of animals, while still sharing some qualities.

Section 8 (Lines 223-258) describes the “vast chain of being” (Line 237). This chain includes everything from God, the angels, and humans down to the invisible creatures that “no eye can see” (Line 239).

Section 9 (Lines 259-280) compares a creature in the chain of being rebelling against its place to a foot telling the dust “to tread” (Line 259) or a hand trying to think like a mind (Line 260). The speaker calls this ridiculous because each creature in the chain must fulfill its role so that the “stupendous whole” (Line 267) can be preserved. In the harmonious order of the universe, Nature is “the body” and God is “the soul” (Line 268).

Section 10 (Lines 281-294) returns to the human tendency toward pride. People should not rage against God for events they perceive as unjust or evil. Instead of fighting, the speaker advocates humbly submitting to God’s will. The speaker sums this up in the final line of this epistle: “Whatever is, is right” (Line 294).

Analysis: Epistle 1

St. John, Lord of Bolingbroke, had a philosophy of nature and the universe that influenced “Essay on Man.” The speaker of “Essay on Man” wants readers to contemplate the nature of the universe’s pattern, from the depths where the blind “creep” to the heights where the “sightless soar” (Line 12).

Line 16—“vindicate the ways of God to man”—alludes to a famous line from John Milton’s  Paradise Lost ,  in which Milton says that he wishes to “justify the ways of God to man” (Milton, John. Paradise Lost , Samuel Simmons, 1667, pp 25.) Though the speaker is alluding to Milton, they do not want to suggest an apocalyptic view of the future or even a heavily biblical perspective . Instead, the speaker uses philosophical reasoning and poetic expression to portray the organization of life in accordance with God’s law. The poem’s goal is to defend the world by showing that God’s wisdom made it the way it is.

The speaker approaches this systematically, with each of the epistles focusing on a particular aspect of the human condition. This epistle focuses on the relationship of human beings to the world around them, from the universe and nature to the living creatures that share the earth with humans.

The speaker uses rhetorical questions to argue that the limited information we have about the universe constrains human reason. These questions invite the reader to reflect. The question: “What can we reason, but from what we know?” (Line 18) inspires the reader to reflect on the fact that their comprehension of the world is limited to the information available to them. Because humans cannot know everything and know less than God (who the speaker believes is all-knowing or omniscient ), human reasoning is, therefore, inferior to God’s. The speaker says that humans’ partial view can convince them—erroneously—that they are alone at the top of the great chain of all living things. The speaker asserts that humans are beneath “some sphere unknown” (Line 58). When the world seems askew or appears unjust, the speaker argues that it is due to the folly of human reasoning.

The speaker has a Eurocentric perspective on Indigenous people. This suggests that they believe that some people are superior to others. During Pope’s era, this perspective was relatively commonplace: Dehumanizing views of Indigenous people were part of how Europe justified colonizing the Americas and destroying Indigenous cultures. The speaker feels superior to Indigenous people, pitying them for their ignorance of Christianity. They also write that an Indigenous person’s idea of heaven might be a world of safety and security where no Christians are “searching for gold” (Line 108). This does not erase the destructive views the speaker expresses, but it does demonstrate awareness that Indigenous people viewed colonizers with fear and contempt. It also implies that the speaker viewed Christian colonizers with skepticism; they suggest that the colonizers went to the New World in search of riches, rather than out of missionary zeal.

The poem uses anaphora in section four. Anaphora, or the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of at least two lines in a row, builds momentum. In this case, it emphasizes the speaker’s point about human pride, repeating “aspiring to be gods, if angels fell/aspiring to be angels, men rebel” (Line 127-128).

The poem uses anaphora and parallelism to show an analogous relationship between God and angels and angels and men: Just as angels who aspired to be like God fell from heaven, humans who try to be like angels disrupt God’s orderly universe. Lines 167-168 contain another example of anaphora: “That never air or ocean felt the wind/That never passion discompos’d the mind.” The repetition of “that never” emphasizes its importance to the poem. Just like the wind ruffles the air and ocean due to the earth’s natural processes, logical thought becomes muddied by emotion for a larger purpose.

The speaker personifies pride in section 5. Personification is a device where a writer gives a nonhuman entity or an abstract idea human qualities. In “Essay on Man,” Pope personifies pride as a foolish and self-absorbed person who believes that earth is a “foot-stool” for humans and the skies are “a canopy” (Line 140). Historical references to Borgia and Catiline are examples of extreme pride. The poem says that such prideful tyrants should not be cause for concern, as God uses all beings to serve his larger purpose.

In the phrase “The whispering zephyr, and the purling rill” (206) we see assonance , or the repetition of vowel sounds, with an emphasis on the “I” sound in “whispering,” “zephyr,” “purling,” and “rill.” The metaphor of the chain that contains millions of links reflects in the “chain of being” (Line 237). The poem uses imagery that describes mayhem on a large scale—“earth unbalanc’e from her orbit fly” and “planets and sun run lawless” (Lines 251-252)—to depict the importance of every creature in the chain that connects all living things. The speaker believes that this hierarchical, orderly view of the universe places humans under God. It implies that if humans try to be like God they are going against the universe’s natural order, and this will have terrible consequences.

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Essay Analysis on Man by Alexander Pope

Alexander Pope’s “An Essay on Man” is a philosophical poem published between 1733 and 1734. It’s a work that aims to “vindicate the ways of God to Man,” a variation on John Milton’s claim in Paradise Lost to “justify the ways of God to Man” (1674). Pope’s poem offers a complex look at the nature of human beings and their place in the universe.

The poem is divided into four epistles (letters), each focusing on different aspects of human nature and our relationship with God, the universe, and ourselves.

Let’s dive into each epistle and explore the main ideas Pope presents.

What You'll Learn

Epistle I: The Nature of Man in Relation to the Universe

The great chain of being.

Pope introduces the concept of the Great Chain of Being, a hierarchical structure of all matter and life believed to have been decreed by God. This chain starts from God at the top and descends through angels, humans, animals, plants, and finally inanimate objects.

Example: Imagine a ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven. God is at the very top, followed by angels on the higher rungs. Humans are somewhere in the middle, with animals, plants, and rocks below us. This image represents the Great Chain of Being.

Man’s Limited Understanding

Pope argues that humans can only understand a small portion of this vast universe and God’s plan. He suggests that it’s foolish for us to question the order of things or to think we can fully comprehend God’s design.

Example: Think of a ant trying to understand how a smartphone works. Just as the ant’s tiny brain can’t grasp the complexity of our technology, Pope suggests our human minds can’t fully grasp the complexity of the universe and God’s plan.

The Principle of Plenitude

Pope introduces the idea that everything in the universe serves a purpose, even if we can’t see or understand it. This concept, known as the Principle of Plenitude, suggests that the universe is “full” and perfect as it is.

Example: Consider an ecosystem where every creature, from the tiniest insect to the largest predator, plays a crucial role. Even things we might consider “bad,” like diseases, could serve a purpose in maintaining balance that we don’t fully understand.

Epistle II: The Nature of Man with Respect to Himself as an Individual

Self-love and reason.

Pope explores the dual nature of humans, driven by both self-love (passion, emotion) and reason. He argues that both are necessary and work together to guide human behavior.

Example: Think of self-love as the gas pedal in a car, providing the energy and motivation to move forward. Reason, then, is like the steering wheel, guiding that energy in the right direction.

The Middle Nature of Man

Pope describes humans as beings caught in the middle – not as perfect as angels, but not as limited as animals. This “middle nature” allows us to strive for improvement while accepting our limitations.

Example: Imagine a tightrope walker balancing between two extremes. We’re not all-knowing like we imagine God to be, but we’re not limited to instinct like animals. We walk a middle path, capable of reason and improvement but also prone to mistakes.

The Importance of Virtue

Pope emphasizes that true happiness comes from cultivating virtue rather than indulging in material pleasures or selfish pursuits.

Example: Consider two people: one who constantly chases money and fame, always wanting more, and another who focuses on being kind, honest, and helpful to others. Pope would argue that the second person is more likely to find lasting happiness and fulfillment.

Epistle III: The Nature of Man with Respect to Society

The origin of society and government.

Pope discusses how humans naturally formed societies and governments, driven by both self-love (for protection and benefit) and reason (for order and progress).

Example: Think of early humans coming together in groups for safety from predators and to share resources. Over time, they developed rules and leadership structures to maintain order, much like how children playing together will naturally establish rules for their games.

The Harmony of Self-Love and Social Love

Pope argues that when properly directed, self-love and love for others (social love) are not opposites but complementary forces that create harmony in society.

Example: Consider how in a healthy friendship, both people benefit. You enjoy your friend’s company (self-love) while also wanting to support and help them (social love). These motivations work together to strengthen the friendship and, by extension, society.

The Role of Government

Pope suggests that different forms of government arose naturally to suit different societies, but all serve the same basic purpose of maintaining order and promoting the common good.

Example: Just as different environments lead to different types of houses (igloos in arctic regions, stilted homes in flood-prone areas), different social and geographical conditions led to various forms of government, from tribal councils to monarchies to democracies.

Epistle IV: The Nature of Happiness and Its Relation to Man

True happiness.

Pope argues that true happiness doesn’t come from external circumstances or possessions, but from living virtuously and in accordance with God’s plan.

Example: Think of two people: one who wins the lottery but remains selfish and unfulfilled, and another who lives modestly but finds joy in helping others and pursuing meaningful goals. Pope would say the second person has found true happiness.

The Folly of Human Wishes

Pope criticizes the tendency of humans to always want more or different than what they have, arguing that this leads to dissatisfaction and unhappiness.

Example: Imagine a child who begs for a new toy, only to become bored with it quickly and start wanting something else. Pope suggests that adults often behave similarly, always chasing the next thing instead of appreciating what they have.

Acceptance of One’s Place

Pope encourages readers to accept their place in the Great Chain of Being and to focus on fulfilling their role as best they can, rather than wishing for a different position.

Example: Consider a supporting actor in a play. Instead of being jealous of the lead role, they can find satisfaction and purpose in performing their part to the best of their ability, contributing to the overall success of the production.

Key Themes and Ideas

The limitations of human knowledge.

Throughout the poem, Pope emphasizes that humans can only understand a small part of the universe and God’s plan. He encourages humility and acceptance of our limitations.

The Interconnectedness of All Things

Pope presents the universe as a complex, interconnected system where everything has its place and purpose, even if we can’t always see or understand it.

The Dual Nature of Humans

Pope explores how humans are driven by both emotion (self-love) and reason, and how these forces can work together when properly balanced.

A recurring theme is the idea that true happiness comes from living virtuously and in harmony with God’s plan, rather than from material possessions or worldly success.

Acceptance and Contentment

Pope encourages readers to accept their place in the universe and find contentment in fulfilling their role, rather than constantly wishing for more or different.

Literary Techniques and Style

Heroic couplets.

Pope wrote “An Essay on Man” in heroic couplets – rhyming pairs of lines in iambic pentameter. This formal structure gives the poem a sense of balance and order, reflecting its philosophical content.

Example: “Hope springs eternal in the human breast; Man never Is, but always To be blest:”

The poem is full of memorable, concise statements of truth or opinion, known as aphorisms. These serve to summarize key ideas and make them more memorable.

Example: “The proper study of Mankind is Man.”

Pope makes frequent references to classical mythology, literature, and history, assuming a well-educated readership.

Example: “Superior beings, when of late they saw A mortal man unfold all Nature’s law, Admired such wisdom in an earthly shape, And showed a NEWTON as we show an ape.”

Here, Pope alludes to Sir Isaac Newton, comparing his intellect to that of higher beings.

While not as biting as some of Pope’s other works, “An Essay on Man” does employ gentle satire to poke fun at human folly and pretension.

Example: “Go, wondrous creature! mount where Science guides, Go, measure earth, weigh air, and state the tides;”

Here, Pope gently mocks human attempts to understand and control nature .

Historical and Philosophical Context

Enlightenment thinking.

“An Essay on Man” was written during the Enlightenment, a period that emphasized reason, science, and individualism. Pope’s work reflects some of these ideas while also pushing back against excessive rationalism.

Leibniz’s Optimism

Pope’s idea that this is the “best of all possible worlds” echoes the philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, though Pope’s version is more nuanced and allows for the existence of evil as part of a greater good.

While Pope was Catholic, “An Essay on Man” reflects some deist ideas popular at the time, particularly the concept of God as a distant “first cause” who set the universe in motion but doesn’t actively intervene.

Impact and Reception

Initial reception.

“An Essay on Man” was initially published anonymously, and it was so well received that Pope’s authorship was questioned. Some, including Voltaire, praised it highly.

Later Criticism

As time went on, the poem faced more criticism. Some found its philosophical arguments unconvincing or its optimism naive. Samuel Johnson famously said, “Never were penury of knowledge and vulgarity of sentiment so happily disguised.”

Enduring Influence

Despite criticisms, “An Essay on Man” remains an important work of 18th-century literature and philosophy. Its aphorisms, in particular, have become part of common English expressions.

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An Essay on Man | Study Guide

FAQs about “An Essay on Man”

• Q: What is the main purpose of “An Essay on Man”? A: The main purpose is to “vindicate the ways of God to Man” – in other words, to explain and justify God’s treatment of humanity and the nature of the universe.
• Q: Is “An Essay on Man” actually an essay? A: No, it’s not an essay in the modern sense. It’s a long philosophical poem divided into four epistles or sections.
• Q: What does Pope mean by “The proper study of Mankind is Man”? A: Pope suggests that instead of trying to understand God or the universe, humans should focus on understanding themselves and human nature.
• Q: Is “An Essay on Man” a religious work? A: While it deals with religious themes, it’s more philosophical than strictly religious. It reflects some deist ideas popular during the Enlightenment.
• Q: What is the “Great Chain of Being”? A: It’s a hierarchical structure of all matter and life, believed to have been decreed by God. It ranges from God at the top, through angels, humans, animals, plants, down to inanimate objects.
• Q: Why does Pope use the phrase “whatever is, is right”? A: This reflects Pope’s optimistic view that everything in the universe serves a purpose in God’s plan, even if we can’t understand it.
• Q: How long is “An Essay on Man”? A: The complete work consists of four epistles, totaling 1,316 lines.
• Q: What does Pope mean by “self-love” and “reason”? A: “Self-love” refers to passion, emotion, and instinct, while “reason” represents logic and rational thought. Pope sees both as necessary forces guiding human behavior.
• Q: Is Pope arguing against trying to improve oneself or society? A: No, Pope encourages improvement within one’s proper sphere. He’s arguing against dissatisfaction with one’s fundamental place in the universe.
• Q: Why is “An Essay on Man” still studied today? A: Despite some outdated ideas, it remains a masterpiece of English literature, offering insight into 18th-century philosophy and featuring many quotable lines that have entered common usage.

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Pope's Poems and Prose

Analysis of "an essay on man" anonymous college.

The assertion of the first epistle of Pope's “An Essay on Man” is that man has too narrow a perspective to truly understand God's plan, and his goal is to “vindicate the ways of God to man” (Pope 16). The ignorance of man befits his place in the order of creation, and his confusion conceals the harmony of that order. The individual lines of this epistle appear to present a fatalistic universe, devoid of free will, where all things are fated to happen. Although if the work is viewed as a whole, Pope's optimism shows through.

Pope begins by explaining that he can only comment on what can be known by man. “Through worlds unnumbered though the God be known,/'Tis ours to trace him only in our own” (1.21-22). Even though the universe my hold many worlds, only Earth can be known to man. It is the only frame of reference that Pope could write about, and his audience be made to understand. He advises his readers to put aside their hubris and consider “Is the great chain, that draws all to agree,/And drawn supports, upheld by God or thee?” (1.33-34). Only after man puts aside his ego and contemplates “the great chain,” will he be able to understand his place in God's plan.

GradeSaver provides access to 2369 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11018 literature essays, 2792 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

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Alexander Pope's Essay on Man: An Introduction

David cody , associate professor of english, hartwick college.

Victorian Web Home —> Some Pre-Victorian Authors —> Neoclassicism —> Alexander Pope ]

The Essay on Man is a philosophical poem, written, characteristically, in heroic couplets , and published between 1732 and 1734. Pope intended it as the centerpiece of a proposed system of ethics to be put forth in poetic form: it is in fact a fragment of a larger work which Pope planned but did not live to complete. It is an attempt to justify, as Milton had attempted to vindicate, the ways of God to Man, and a warning that man himself is not, as, in his pride, he seems to believe, the center of all things. Though not explicitly Christian, the Essay makes the implicit assumption that man is fallen and unregenerate, and that he must seek his own salvation.

The "Essay" consists of four epistles, addressed to Lord Bolingbroke, and derived, to some extent, from some of Bolingbroke's own fragmentary philosophical writings, as well as from ideas expressed by the deistic third Earl of Shaftesbury. Pope sets out to demonstrate that no matter how imperfect, complex, inscrutable, and disturbingly full of evil the Universe may appear to be, it does function in a rational fashion, according to natural laws; and is, in fact, considered as a whole, a perfect work of God. It appears imperfect to us only because our perceptions are limited by our feeble moral and intellectual capacity. His conclusion is that we must learn to accept our position in the Great Chain of Being — a "middle state," below that of the angels but above that of the beasts — in which we can, at least potentially, lead happy and virtuous lives.

Epistle I concerns itself with the nature of man and with his place in the universe; Epistle II, with man as an individual; Epistle III, with man in relation to human society, to the political and social hierarchies; and Epistle IV, with man's pursuit of happiness in this world. An Essay on Man was a controversial work in Pope's day, praised by some and criticized by others, primarily because it appeared to contemporary critics that its emphasis, in spite of its themes, was primarily poetic and not, strictly speaking, philosophical in any really coherent sense: Dr. Johnson , never one to mince words, and possessed, in any case, of views upon the subject which differed materially from those which Pope had set forth, noted dryly (in what is surely one of the most back-handed literary compliments of all time) that "Never were penury of knowledge and vulgarity of sentiment so happily disguised." It is a subtler work, however, than perhaps Johnson realized: G. Wilson Knight has made the perceptive comment that the poem is not a "static scheme" but a "living organism," (like Twickenham ) and that it must be understood as such.

Considered as a whole, the Essay on Man is an affirmative poem of faith: life seems chaotic and patternless to man when he is in the midst of it, but is in fact a coherent portion of a divinely ordered plan. In Pope's world God exists, and he is benificent: his universe is an ordered place. The limited intellect of man can perceive only a tiny portion of this order, and can experience only partial truths, and hence must rely on hope, which leads to faith. Man must be cognizant of his rather insignificant position in the grand scheme of things: those things which he covets most — riches, power, fame — prove to be worthless in the greater context of which he is only dimly aware. In his place, it is man's duty to strive to be good, even if he is doomed, because of his inherent frailty, to fail in his attempt. Do you find Pope's argument convincing? In what ways can we relate the Essay on Man to works like Swift's Gulliver's Travels , Johnson's "The Vanity of Human Wishes" ( text ), Tennyson's In Memoriam and Eliot's The Wasteland ?

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